Les Peterson, Carefree Mayor | Sonoran News
The COVID -19 pandemic has been not only a life threatening health situation but it has also caused a very real economic downturn as well. Once most of Carefree’s 300+ businesses were required to close in mid March, many were facing a very real threat to their continued existence.
Fortunately, from an economic standpoint, on March 27th the Federal Government passed the CARES Act. Through the provisions of this Act, local businesses across the Country became eligible for low interest loans, including forgivable grants in some situations, and/or unemployment benefits to help them weather the financial impact of this pandemic and re-open in some manner after the early surge of people contracting the virus.
But as with many Federal programs, understanding the provisions of the CARES Act and wading through the application procedures was daunting. It was at this point that Steve Prokopek, Carefree’s new Economic Development Director, in concert with Town Administrator Gary Neiss and myself, Les Peterson, resolved that the Town would take a very proactive role with all 300+ of the Town’s businesses regarding the CARES Act.
